C2 TV

Tuesday 7th January 2025

Tv Drama

LO: To explore the content and format of the unit.

Do Now: 2/5

1) There are 2 media exams.

2) Each exam is 1 hour 30 minutes.

3) Genre means a type, a type of a media form, that involves a particular set of characteristics.

4) The target audience for The Archers is older, middle-class, white British women.

5) The BBC's remit is inform, educate and entertain.

Component 2:

'Understanding Media Forms and Products'

- Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes.

- 60 marks.

Section A: Tv Crime Drama - 'Luther' and 'The Sweeney'.

Section B: Music Videos

Section A:

- Question 1: Media Language OR Representations.

- Question 2: Media Industries OR Audiences OR Media Contexts.

Crime Drama:

Genre - A type of a media form that involves a particular set of characteristics.

Sub-genre - When a large genre is sub-divided into smaller genres. Hospital drama, costume drama, etc.

Hybrid Genre - Media texts that incorporate more than one element of genre. Dr Who is fantasy, sci-fi.

Crime Drama 1: The Responder

Narrative:

- Man is a police officer.

Setting:

- Office, city

Characters:

- Man & woman

Mise-en-scene:

- Police car, uniform

Crime Drama 2: Happy Valley

Narrative:

- Police woman doing her job (clearly the protagonist)

Setting:

- Park, office

Characters:

- 2 police women

Mise-en-scene:

- Police car

Crime Drama 3: Line Of Duty

Narrative:

- Terrorist attack? Bomb threat, swat involved.

Setting:

- Tunnel, apartment complex 

Characters:

- Police man, whole team of officers

Mise-en-scene:

- Car chase scene?

Similarities:

- All have police officers present.

- Dim lighting.

- Set in cities - Urban locations.

- All start with trying to stop a crime from happening.

- Arial views - especially following police cars.

- Positioned on the good teams side - The police's perspective.

Typical Codes And Conventions:

- Urban area locations.

- Media language - Gritty lighting, dim & realistic settings like real life, diegetic sounds.

- Uniforms and equipment suitable to officers - Gun, handcuffs.

- Story begins with a sort of crime - Usually a victim.

- Police officer is flawed in some way, but also intelligent and determined.

- Protagonist and antagonist.

- A handful of suspects throughout.

- Clues - There are often lots of these but also red-herrings.

- Narrative Arc - The story has a continuing narrative.

- Character Types - The hero, the villain, the helper, the sidekick, and a dispatcher. (PROPS)

- Representations - They are mostly challenging, otherwise too predictable.

The impact of these conventions can make people feel engaged and hooked because they feel a need to find out what really happens as they can make their own guesses as to what they predict which allows them to feel like they need to know the answer as a way of knowing if they were correct. It causes enigmas, and as people we have a need to know the answer to these enigmas that interest us which allows audiences to stay tuned and hooked because they need their questions answered and solved. Finally, the use of tension and suspense causes people to want to keep watching as many tv dramas tend to include a cliffhanger where something happens but people want to know what happens next.

Tuesday 14th January 2025

The Sweeney

Do Now:

1) A crime drama is narrative is based around

2) The TWO crime dramas that we will be studying is 'Luther' and 'The Sweeney'.

3) Once crime drama convention is the showing / use of guns.

4) One other crime convention is the showing of uniforms.

5) It is essential that crime dramas create 

Notes:

The Television Industry:

- Developments in technology have allowed audiences access to many more digital channels and ONLINE STREAMING SERVICES. This means we can watch what we want, when we want and on whatever device we want.

- Some TV programmes today achieve the status of EVENT TELEVISION and gain massive audiences.

- Digital technology has changed how we produce and circulate TV programmes, as well as how we consume them.

- The wide variety means audiences are spread more thinly than in the past.

- Audience loyalty to a particular channel has decreased.

Scheduling:

Watershed - The time when TV programmes which might be unsuitable for children can be broadcast. In the UK, this is at 9pm.

Peak Time - The time of day when the most people are watching television. In the UK, this is typically between 6 - 10pm.

Prime Time - The block of broadcast programming 

Public Service Broadcasting:

- According to OFCOM, it is "high-quality content, made for as wide a range of audiences as possible, and for public benefit rather than purely commercial ends."

- The BBC = PSB (funded by licence fee).

- ITV, C4 & C5 = commercial public broadcasters (funded mainly through advertising), available to all who pay the licence fee.

- All catch-up meet PSB requirements, but BBC has strictest.

- OFCOM regulates TV, including on-demand & catch-up services, through the Broadcasting Code.

TV Audiences:

- Before catch-up services, audiences could only watch a TV programme at the time it was broadcast and would have to wait for the next episode to see how the narrative developed.

- TV therefore played a much more important role in people's lives.

- Modern audiences have a much greater choice and more flexibility in their TV consumption.

The Sweeney:

- Produced by Euston Films - film production division of Thames Television.

- Thames Television held the ITV broadcast licence for the London area in the 70s and 80s.

- Euston Films produced a range of TV dramas in the 70s & 80s.

- The Sweeney was filmed on location in parts of West London, which added to the realism and intensity of the programme.

- The programme used new techniques that have influenced the way TV dramas have since been produced (location filming, reduced rehearsal time, quick post-production).

- Series was written by Ian Kennedy Martin.

- Both main actors, John Thaw & Dennis Waterman, became associated with police crime drama, again showing the importance and influence of The Sweeney in the development of the genre.

Scheduling:

- The show ran between 1975 - 1978.

- It was broadcast at 9pm on weekday evenings on ITV.

- The narrative was structured into three sections - around the two ad breaks.

Media Language:

- It was recorded on 16mm film. The cameras were lighter and more mobile which meant they could shoot on location and include more action sequences.

- Location filming adds to the sense of realism.

- Static cameras were also used in both interior and exterior scenes: they would use multiple cameras to film the same scene from different angles.

- There is more camera movement, particularly in the fight sequences, immersing the audience in the action more.

- The use of music reflects the time period as well as the MES, underscoring the action.

Narrative:

- The episode starts with the build up to the crime (Brooker takes delivery of the guns), but the main crime doesn't occur until much later in the story. Much of the episode is spent trying to prevent the crime from taking place.

- The narrative ends with closure: the crime is prevented; the main criminal is dead, and Regan  can relax with his girlfriend.

Representations of ethnicity:

- No ethnic people shown. Just white people.

Representations of gender:

- Only male gender shown. One woman throughout the first two extracts. All females in the show are the stereotypes of being a girlfriend, mother, wife; they have no solo female roles. The female role that we were shown, the female was shown as quite clever but also weak compared to men.

Differences in society from today:

- Not just predominantly white.

- Difference in their uniform for police.

- There is a much clearer class structure in the 70s.

Main characters:

- Frank.

- The Sweeney's.

- Kimble.

- Four eyes.

Narrative:

- Two police corner person who stole car and photos - leads to chase scene.

- The criminal gave the photos to the big boss criminal man.... Frank.

Examples where we can see the media language from the 1970s (camerawork & non-diegetic music):

-Police wearing suits - Connotations of authority and power.

- Rolls Royce - Connotations of being rich.

- Music in action sequences - To make it more enjoyable.

Friday 17th January 2025

Luther

Do Now:

1) The Sweeney location-based shots were filmed in (West) London.

2) The Sweeney was broadcasted 9pm, weekdays.

3) The Watershed - 9pm: The time after which adult content can be shown.

4) Thing that made The Sweeney groundbreaking - There was more violence, on location filming, dodgy coppers, location filming.

5) Regan & Carter are the two main protagonists.

Key Notes about Luther (2010):

- Produced by the BBC.

- Written be Neil Cross, who had previously written shows like Spooks.

- First series was aired on BBC One at 9pm on Tuesday 4th May 2010. (Prime time).

- It was then also available on iPlayer.

- There have been 5 series and a Netflix film to date.

- It is one of many crime dramas that takes its title from the main protagonist, implying that the main detective will be strong, independent and central to the narrative.

- The writer drew on different sub-genres: mystery / detective and psychological thriller.

Watching the episode: Notes:

Representations of ethnicity:

- Main protagonist is a different ethnicity.

Representations of gender: Luther (male) is officer/detective, Female boss, Zoe (Luther's cheating wife)

Main characters: Luther, female boss, Alice Morgan? (parents and dog murdered(She is the possible murderer))

Narrative: Start in random factory (criminal dies), psychiatry hospital, Luther responding to murders at house (most likely main focus)

Examples of crime drama codes & conventions: Chase scene, kidnapping, murder, police station, city, night-time

Homework:

- Scheduling impacts TV crime dramas and TV audiences because the time of day that the TV crime drama is shown which is called peak time and references the time of day that a show is shown in the UK which is more around 6pm - 10pm. This means that more people are off of work and usually this would be on a day such as Tuesday because people tend to make plans for the end of the week, resulting in more time freed up in the beginning of the week. Similarly, the use of  watershed allows people, mainly adults to see shows that are more unsuitable for children as it may contain more sexual or violent content. This would cause people to have their own schedule of watching a show at the same about time making it enjoyable with time in between to discuss about TV crime dramas.

- Peoples thoughts about TV crime dramas may change over time because after a while they may just get bored of a repeating storyline of a crime happening and then that crime being stopped. This can audiences to start to feel a sense of repetition and a longing of something new because if someone has binge watched multiple TV crime dramas, they can become extremely bored of the unchanging storyline.

- The benefits of commercial broadcasting is that the ones broadcasting are able to rely on people purchasing from the advertisements. Similarly, the companies are able to gain easy profit from the fact that the broadcasts and shows sell their product for them especially during popular TV dramas which ensures more people would be watching.

- Production processes influence crime dramas because the crime dramas usually start with the same similar beginning of a smaller crime happening and allowing us as the audience to get a sense of what the main protagonist is like but then a new crime happens that causes the audience to become indulged in the new storyline and allows the audience to feel one with the detectives as they too are trying to solve this crime, sometimes trying to do it before the protagonist can.

- Crime dramas are shared amongst a huge range of audiences and one of those being between males and females. This is made apparent by the way that the male gender is more stereotypical to the fact of police officers and crime as they are common for the male sex. More to this, the male gender is more commonly associated to the ideology of guns, violence, cars, etc. However, the female sex can also be used in this audience range because there are many newer shows that also feature the fact that there are more female protagonists who solve the crimes, do gun/car sequences, etc. In conclusion to this, women have got the ability to feel empowered by the fact that the female protagonists are strong, determined, and very strong-minded resulting in there a much wider audience of both of the genders included. This ideology can also be used for the examples of ethnicity, age, etc.

Tuesday 21st January 2025

Luther: Characters

LO: To explore the characters of the set text.

Do Now: 3/5

1) Luther's first name is John.

2) The BBC produced Luther.

3) Luther series was scheduled at 9pm on a Tuesday night.

4) Detective - mystery / Psychological thriller. 

5) Crime drama conventions in Luther - Police, use of guns, crimes

Propp's character functions:

The hero - Leads the narrative, is usually looking for something (answers, a quest).

The villain - Has a conflict with the hero and tries to stop them succeeding.

The donor - Gives the hero something which helps them to complete their quest. Often fulfils the mentor role.

The princess - Usually a prize or reward for the hero. If the hero is female, there can still be a prize but i is unusual.

The helper - Helps the hero complete their quest, often acts like a sidekick.

The princess' father - An authority figure who offers a reward to the hero for completing their quest (NOT ALWAYS THE PRINCESS" ACTUAL FATHER). Reward could be a prize, the princess or in more modern narratives, a new car.

The false hero - The false hero takes credit for the hero's actions or tries to marry the princess. May appear heroic at the start of the narrative.

The dispatcher - Early role who sets the story/quest in motion. Often combined with other roles like the princess' father or donor.

In Luther:

The hero - Luther → He is the main protagonist detective and we follow him as he attempts to solve the crime that was committed. → However, sometimes Luther can be seen as violent and has a lack of capability of controlling himself at times.

The villain - Alice Morgan / Henry Madsen → Alice Morgan killed her own parents (potentially. but she definitely did it). Henry Madsen kidnaps a girl and keeps her trapped in an inclosed area which could have put her life at risk. → However, Alice Morgan's relationship with Luther allows her to become more open to him and she tends to tell him clues as a way of gaining attention.

The donor - Rose Teller

The princess - Zoe Luther

The princesses father - Rose Teller

The helper - Justin Ripley

False hero - Mark North

The dispatcher - Henry Madsen / Rose Teller → Henry Madsen causes the decline in Luther's mental well-being at the beginning causing it to linger over the series. Rose Teller is the one who brings Luther back onto the police force and gives him the case of the murder of the Morgans. → However, the Henry Madsen kidnapping case and the murder of the Morgans case can disprove that Henry is a dispatcher because there is no relation in the cases meaning that there was still a possibility of Luther getting the Morgan murder case no matter what. 

Friday 24th January 2025

Luther: Genre & Narrative

LO: To explore the genre & narrative of the set text.

Do Now: 5/5

1) Propp came up with 8 character functions.

2) The Donor, The Princess, The False Hero.

3) Luther is not a typical Proppian hero because we can see him acting a bit hostile towards others along with violent which is unlike a normal hero you would think of. He has obvious flaws and weaknesses / dubious moralities.

4) The Donor - The donor gives the hero something that may assist them on their quest or goal.

5) Justin Ripley fulfils the spot of the sidekick because he is Luther's partner.

Genre - A category of TV programme, identified by a set of typical features.

Sub-genre - A specialist category within a broader group of Tv programmes.

Hybrid genre - A genre made from a combination of two others, such as rom-com.

Codes and conventions - The typical ingredients that audiences expect to see in a particular genre.

Theory: Steve Neale Genre - Repetition & Difference:

- Genres are dominated by the repetition of codes and conventions - They have a 'system of expectations' (the things audiences expect to be included).

- Genres change, develop, and vary over time.

- Genres borrow from and overlap with one another - this creates a hybrid e.g. crime-thriller.

The Sweeney Opening: (Genre conventions):

- Guns / Starts with bad guys (some crime happening) / Police / Car chases (action sequences).

- Hybrid - Crime-action.

Luther Opening: (Genre conventions):

- Chase scene / Crime happening / Injury / Police / Lowkey lighting / Urban location.

- Hybrid - Crime-western.

Luther - Genre:

- Luther contains many familiar elements of crime drama, but it also shows developments in the genre when compared to The Sweeney.

- There are many elements hybridised from other genres:

- Conventions from thriller genre in visual & audio codes - low-key lighting, intense non-diegetic music & dramatic cross-cutting.

- References to the horror genre - graphic shots, jump scares.

- Elements of police procedural, but with an increased focus on psychology.

- The characters are far more complex and developed, particularly female roles.

- Real life developments in forensics are reflected in the show.

- Filming styles are very different (technology) - multiple angles for more camera movement & viewpoints.

Stock characters -These are typical characters you would find in particular genres; a convention of crime drama.

The Maverick Detective:

- Brilliant detectives, able to solve crimes and understand clues that nobody else can.

- Not afraid to break the rules if it means catching the criminal.

- Often 'damaged' individuals who struggle to hold together their personal lives.

Luther as a Maverick Detective:

- He figures out that the gun was broken apart and put into the dead dog to be burned.

- He breaks into Alice's house and steals the urn from her.

The Psychopathic Killer:

- Deceitful characters who pretend to be 'normal'.

- Capable of horrific crimes.

- Enjoy playing mind games with detectives.

Alice Morgan as a psychopathic killer:

- She kills her parents and her dog.

- Enjoys playing mind games through the way she taunts Luther by threatening his wife.

The Femme Fatale:

- A mysterious & dangerous female character.

- Uses her sexuality to exert power over male characters.

- A character more often seen in Film Noir.

Narrative:

- Backstory: the pre-title sequence summarises the previous case and explains why Luther has been on leave. Madsen is shown again at the end of the episode, a continuing narrative arc that runs throughout the series.

- Inverted narrative: We know who the murderer is, and that Luther will catch her - but we don't know how! The ensuing psychological duel between the two characters is more engaging and exciting.

- Crime: The murder of Alice's parents. We know that she did it - we literally see her with blood on her hands - but there is no sense of justice in the usual way. Only personal satisfaction for Luther.

- Narrative Strands: Neither the crime nor John's personal life are nearly solved by the end of the episode but there is some sense of resolution & equilibrium. These strands will be taken up again in the next episode.

- Visual codes: There are some iconic signifiers used. The camerawork and editing are used to focus attention on important narrative clues.

Tuesday 28th January 2025

Luther: Representation

LO: To explore the representations constructed in the set text.

Do Now: 4/5

1) Steve Neale claims: Genres are dominated by the repetition of codes and conventions.

2) USP stands for 'unique selling point'.

3) Luther is a maverick sort of detective.

4) A stock character is a typical character that you often find in a certain genre.

5) Alice is the psychopathic killer and the femme fatale.

Representation - The way in which people, places, issues & events are portrayed in the media.

Questions to consider:

1) Is this representation positive or negative?

2) Are there aspects which conform to traditional stereotypes in that area?

3) Are there aspects which challenge traditional stereotypes in that area?

4) What evidence can I use to support my case?

Representation of John Luther:

- An interesting representation of a black male in 21st century Britain.

- He is a successful senior police detective with a brilliant mind for solving crime.

- He also uses questionable methods to get results.

- Highly committed to his job - almost obsessive.

- Highly regarded by his fellow officers.

- Complicated character who experiences anguish and passion and reacts with anger and violence, but also pain and sadness.

- Reflects contemporary elements of masculinity as he is not in complete control of his life and shows vulnerability.

- Some stereotypical elements of masculinity shown: physical force, lack of emotion with other men, etc.

Hegemonic Masculinity:

- In Western society, the dominant form of masculinity or the cultural ideal of manhood was primarily reflective of white, heterosexual, largely middle-class males.

- The ideals of manhood adopted by the dominant masculinity suggested a number of characteristics that men are encouraged to be or use.

- These characteristics include: violence & aggression, stoicism (emotional restraint), courage, toughness, physical strength, athleticism, risk-taking, adventure and thrill-seeking, competitiveness, and achievement and success.

Scenes in Luther - Representations of Luther:

- In the opening scene, Luther is represented as cold, violent and aggressive which can be made clear when we see that he allows this criminal 'Henry' to fall from a height which manages to land him in the hospital but he is also represented as easily regretful which is made apparent when he shows signs of guilt after 'Henry' falls.

In the climax scene, Luther is represented as risk-taking because even though he is being threatened with a knife, he still olds his ground whilst he hopes that he has figured out Alice.

In the scene with his wife, Luther is represented as violent & aggressive through the way that he starts to shout and break things such as a door but never threatens to hurt Zoe in any way. More to this, she shows no fear of him showing him as not an aggressive to everyone. Similarly, Luther is represented with physical strength as he breaks a door out of anger.

Example analysis:

- In the programme Luther, the eponymous hero is a representation of hegemonic masculinity.

Representations of women:

- Alice is represented as a psychopathic killer and someone who gets a kick out of the attention she is getting from the mystery of her parents death.

- Zoe is represented as quite weak which is very stereotypical for the views on femininity.

- Rose is represented as respected because she is the boss of detectives such as Luther showing her as a quite empowering character.

Friday 31st January 2025

Luther: Representation

LO: To explore the representations constructed in the set text.

Do Now: 4/5

1) The dominant form of masculinity is known as hegemonic masculinity.

2) These characteristics can include competitiveness, physical strength and stoicism.

3) Representations - The way in which people, places, issues & events are portrayed in the media.

4) Luther's isolation is often shown through the camera angle always framing Luther with a blank space around him.

5) Luther's USP (unique selling point) - Being the first black detective in UK prime drama.

Explain how Luther is a representation of hegemonic masculinity.

In the programme Luther, the eponymous hero is a representation of hegemonic masculinity. Initially, in the opening scene, Luther is represented as violent and risk-taking. This can be seen through the way that Luther leaves Henry Madsen as he hangs on before falling from a great height. Luther lets Henry fall resulting in him being in a coma which shows how Luther can be quite violent because even though he was reassured that the girl he was trying to save was okay, he still questioned him about other children which lead to Henry's coma. Similarly, there were other ways in which Luther could have gone about finding the girl such as helping Henry up and asking him but he chose to leave him hanging which could have stopped him from finding the girl if he had let go before telling him, resulting in the girl's death too. This shows that he is quite risk-taking and reckless with his decisions.

Furthermore, at the climax of the episode, Luther is represented as competitive whilst challenging Alice whilst on the bridge. Here, we are shown how he is competitive as he knows that the gun he found is useless in the case but still has a battle with Alice over intelligence, even going as far as to frame someone else for her crime which he knows would anger her as she loves the attention she is getting form it. More to this, Luther has got a knife up to him which is threatening his life and yet he does not budge form his position and still decides to pry on about how Alice will not win in the end.

Representations Of Women:

Alice Morgan:

- A complex character who is both antagonist (unusual for a female) & femme fatale.

- She has a considerable power and agency as her actions drive the plot.

- She displays many traits stereotypically associated with masculinity: unemotional, highly intelligent, ruthless & violent.

- She subverts many female stereotypes but she is attractive and uses her femininity to taunt & flirt with Luther.

Zoe Luther:

- Zoe is a less conventional character for crime drama.

- She is indicative of the social context of the programme Luther.

- She is powerful and independent, as shown through her representation as a lawyer. She is also the one  who ends her relationship with Luther. These could be seen as positive aspects of her representation.

- What's more as a mixed-race woman, she is from a social group less likely to be represented positively on prime-time television.

- However, she is still shown needing Luther's protection from Alice and despite being a lawyer, her storylines are all concerned with love. These aspects of her representation could be considered more stereotypically feminine.

Rose Teller:

- Rose is a woman in authority in a male dominated sector.

- She shows strength of character by believing in Luther when others doubt him.

- She works hard and follows the rules.

- They mention her family - a working mother.

How far are the characters in Luther typical of the genre? [12]

Homework:

Luther conforms to the 'system of expectations' of TV crime drama using Neale's theory such as Luther being a maverick detective. This can be seen through the way that he portrays many aspects of a maverick detective such as being smart and clever through the way that he figures out things  quicker than other people do which can be seen when he figures out all about Alice during the interrogation scene and how he discovers that she committed the crime on the spot, very quickly which proves to us that he is a maverick detective.

Secondly, we can see that Luther is a maverick detective through the way that Luther tends to break the rules every so often as a way of achieving something. An example of Luther breaking the rules or bending them is when he is chasing down Henry during the opening and scene but when Henry is clinging onto life, Luther interrogates him there about other children he may have done things to rather than helping Henry up and questioning him later. More to this, he keeps Henry holding onto a bar as he is on a phone call and waiting to check if the girl he just helped to find is okay. This shows that Luther is a maverick detective because he is not afraid of bending or breaking the rules to achieve something.

Finally, we can see that Luther is a maverick detective through the way that Luther is a damaged individual who can be seen struggling to hold onto his personal life after the guilt of what he did to Henry. This can be seen through the fact that his wife finds another man whilst he is getting help because she has felt lost with him and does not feel anything now when they are together. This is one example of a way that Luther can be seen struggling to keep his personal life together. More to this, Luther's interest seems to be particularly on the case rather than other things around him. This is seen when all he can think about is Alice and how she has done things, fascinated by her. This highlights how he is a maverick detective and and has a detachment from the real world around him and only focusing  on one particular aspect which in this case (pun intended) is Alice.

Tuesday 4th February 2025

Industry & Audience

Lo: To explore industry & audience response in the two set texts.

Do Now: 3/5

1) Alice Morgan is not a conventional female.

2) Violent, stoicism, risk-taking.

3) Luther often does NOT show stoicism (emotional restraint).

4) Alice Morgan has more traits often associated to men (violence, lack of emotion, etc).

5) Eponymous - When the show or film has the product named after the main character.

Luther - Production:

- Produced by the BBC.

- Shown on BBC1: corporation's primary channel. It offers a range of programme types and genres and aims to appeal to a very wide audience.

- BBC1 remit: To create a high proportion of original programmes and to reflect the diversity of the UK.

- 2016-2017, BBC1 aimed to 'exhibit some or all of the following: high-quality, original, challenging, innovative & engaging, and it should nurture UK talent.'

- Important features of BBC Drama include:

• Talk-ability.
• Topically & relevance to audiences.
• Britishness & reflecting the diversity of life in Britain.

When this can be seen in Luther:

• Reflects diversity of the UK (Luther and other cast members).
• It is challenging (stereotypes (black detective)(female antagonist)).
• Nurturing UK talent (British).
• It is engaging.
• It appeals to a wide audience.

Luther - Distribution & scheduling:

- Series one was broadcast in May 2010 (BBC1, 9pm, Tuesdays).

- Also available on iPlayer (catch-up).

- It was re-commissioned following the first series (5 series).

- In 2012, following the success of first two series, BBC America (co-owned by BBC Studios & AMC) started co-producing.

- Luther broadcast on BBC America: Broadcasts a mixture of US & UK programmes.

- BBC America is part of BBC Studios (commercial arm of the BBC, not funded by the uk license fee).

- Crime drama brings in a large part of the BBC Studio's revenue and Luther has been distributed to many parts of Europe, Africa & Asia.

- It is also available on Prime Video and as a DVD box set.

Luther - Audience Appeal:

- The marketing of series one was quite important in reaching a range of audiences.

- A trailer was released on 16th April 2010 on BBC's YouTube channel.

- A longer preview was shown at the end of April showing the scene where Luther & Ripley meet.

- Additional footage and behind-the-scenes footage for each episode were released on the website (like with DVD extras) giving 'exclusive' insight.

- An 'Inside Look' video was produced for BBC America when launched in the US.

On the Luther webpage:

- Interviews.

- Behind-the-scene clips.

- Social media links.

- A list of the episodes and seasons.

- Clips from episodes.

- Meet the characters page.

- Graphic novels of each episode.

Programme Appeals:

- Genre: Crime drama is popular and it includes familiar conventions, along with interesting hybridisation and unconventional elements. This is seen in Luther as Luther is flawed.

- Star Appeal: Idris Elba is well-known and popular. He is an attractive and potentially aspirational persona, appealing to both male and female viewers.

- Narrative: The Morgan murders and the ongoing Madsen case are engaging for the episode and the series. A female killer is unusual and appealing to those who prefer though-provoking drama.

- Representation: The range of complex male and female characters appeals to different audiences - either to identify with or to be intrigued by.  This can be seen in Luther through Alice being a complex character.

Audience Response - Luther: 

- First episode received mixed reviews, but many positive responses.

- The complex features could generate both positive & negative responses:

• Might admire Luther's crime-solving skills but disapprove of the methods & violent responses.
• Might respond positively to Alice and find her intelligence & resourcefulness appealing, but respond negatively to the femme fatale conventions.
• Might agree that the ending reflects reality (not all criminals convicted) but be disappointed by the lack of closure.

Audience Response - The Sweeney:

- Characters form Series one were appealing - audiences could relate to many of them.

- Police officers were shown as flawed and human, although they still caught the criminals. (Could be seen as a negative representation o the police).

- Modern audiences respond positively to the 'retro' feel - they have a lot of nostalgia and affection for The Sweeney.

- The Sweeney was extremely successful (up to 19 million per episode).

- Led to Eusten developing many more TV dramas and two spin-off films.

- DVD box set (rated 15) of all episodes released in 2004 (offered nostalgia for older audiences and new younger audience).

- Re-runs have been broadcast several times over the years. Now 2017, ITV4 broadcast all episodes dramas on the ITV Hub for catch-up.

- Available on Prime.

- Can be seen to have influenced many other police dramas: leads to genres changing over time.Friday 7th February 2025

Context

LO: To explore the context and its impact in the two set texts.

Do Now: 5/5

1) BBC1 needed to show original / high quality. Challenging / innovative & engaging / nurture UK talent.

2) Luther was broadcast on BBC America to the US.

3) They marketed Luther through interviews, previews, behind-the-scenes footage, trailers, etc.

4) Some of the four programme appeals include genre, star appeal, narrative and representation.

5) Modern audience may respond negatively to The Sweeney through the lack of equality shown as the cast mainly portrayed white male characters and any female characters would commonly be wives.

Changing Viewing Conditions:

- One of the biggest changes in how we watch television has been the introduction of streaming.

- When The Sweeney was on television, there was no way to pause or re-watch television - you had to be there when it was on.

- Programmes would be shown once a week, at the same time.

- Because of the long gap in between episodes, they contained closed narratives, where all elements of the story were wrapped up by the end of the episode.

- This meant audiences did not have to remember week to week what had happened, and if they missed an episode they could still watch the next week and the programme would make sense.

Contemporary Viewing Conditions: 

- Modern services, such as BBC iPlayer, where Luther is shown, allow audiences to watch on demand.

- This had changed how we watch television, with viewers now able to binge-watch whole series at a time.

- Smart phones, laptops and tablets have further enabled this, as we no longer need to be at home, in the living room, to watch television.

- This has led to far more open narratives in crime dramas, where parts of the story will unfold over several episodes.

- This allows for far more complex storytelling and character development.

- Contemporary audiences can also be relied upon to have a gender knowledge of a programme and are more adept at understanding multi-strand narratives.

Historical Context - 1970s:

- Less gender equality - reflected in the structure of the police force.

- Britain was becoming more racially diverse and multicultural, but racial discrimination was high and minority ethnic groups were under-represented.

- The Sweeney was based on the real 'Flying Squad' which had been involved in a highly publicised corruption scandal.

- 1970s was a period of upheaval: strikes, shortages, and economic problems.

Examples in The Sweeney:

- One female role within the police force and even then she was just used as a babysitter for somebody's wife which shows how women were under-represented as they are either a wife or put in a "masculine" role but not given the same responsibilities that the males are.

- There were no diverse characters in The Sweeney.

- The two main detectives showcase that they are fine with framing someone else for the crime.

- It is set in London where there are high crime rates.

Contemporary Context:

- 1980: 90 female detective constables to 1400 male.

- 2017: 30% of all police officers in England & Wales are female.

- Luther's name can represent 'Matin Luther King' who helped fight for civil rights for black Americans.

- Gender equality: More important female roles - (Boss, antagonist, high-paying job)

- Racial equality: The cast of Luther is quite diverse - (Luther, Zoe, etc)

- London: Lots of arial shots of famous buildings (represented as a cosmopolitan and financial city).

Representations Of Gender:

- The Sweeney reflects 1970s values in relation to gender, especially gender roles in the workplace - the Flying Squad is male-dominated, patriarchal and characterised by a stereotypically macho culture of drinking, violence, etc.

- This reflects gender roles within society at the time, particularly within the police force.

- Luther reflects some degree of gender equality in contemporary society in the representation of strong, powerful females.

- However, these females are not all represented positively or as being totally independent - Alice is a narcissistic murderer.

Representation Of Ethnicity:

- The Sweeney represents British society as a completely white culture.

- Luther portrays multiple diverse character and represents Britain as a more diverse and inclusive society.

[INSERT IMAGE - COMPONENT 2. SECTION A. QUESTION 2: INDUSTRY, AUDIENCES AND CONTEXT]

Explain how crime dramas reflect the time in which they are made.

Between the 1970s and now, some of the key differences in Britain during this time included the lack of equality through several ways but two that stand out the most are the lack of diversity and gender roles.

One of the key differences between Luther and The Sweeney in the representation of gender is how all of the female roles in The Sweeney are of commonly more stereotypical feminine roles such as just being a wife, but there is one female office seen in The Sweeney but they are only used to be a babysitter for someone's wife which once again is a stereotypical feminine role; to look after children while men did more of the "masculine" roles which in this case would be solving and or preventing crime.

Homework:

In television, genres are not always the same, but they do change overtime for various reasons such as an overlap into a different genre or a change in season / atmosphere. 

Firstly, the eponymous Luther is very stereotypical as a Maverick detective, a stock character for a crime drama. This representation is best shown through his ability to be much more intelligent than those around him through the way that he is portrays himself to be able to figure out clues that other people and detectives do not. This can be seen through the way that Luther manages to figure out and piece together that the antagonist was the one committed the crime through a complex method that nobody else had put together. Similarly, this can be seen when he figures out that the antagonist put the gun into the dog before anybody else does, proving he is a Maverick detective and smarter than others. Furthermore, Luther is also presented as somebody who would break the rules which is another common trait of a Maverick detective and this can be seen when Luther breaks into the antagonists place without a warrant and steals an urn even though he knew it was useless. He did as a way of preventing harm towards his wife from the antagonist which proves that he will willingly break the rules to ensure safety and to get what he wants.

Secondly, Alice is also a very stereotypical character for a crime drama in her representation as a femme fatale. This is shown primarily through the fact that she enjoys playing mind games with the main protagonist. An example of this is when Alice messes with the protagonist through the fact that she knows that he cannot arrest her without proof and plays games with him like outsmarting him when it came to the urn and the gun in the dog and causing her to get that attention that she wanted. Furthermore, Alice also a psychopathic killer which is made very clear through the way that she literally killed her parents which is brutal enough but in addition to this, she also kills  dog very brutally with multiple gunshots it seems. More to this, the fact that Alice stuffs her hand down the dead dog to hide the gun in him further proves that she is a psychopath who shows zero remorse for what she has done and does not seem to care about the consequences, believing she can get away with it.

In contrast, Zoe is a more complex character that both conforms to and challenges stereotypical femininity. She is represented positively which can be made transparent through the way that we see that Zoe has got a high quality job of being a lawyer which is not a very stereotypical character trait for a female character which is seen in The Sweeney which presents women as wives or supporting characters if they do have a job. This does in fact challenge the stereotype that women are not able to get good jobs as she has a high-paying and a highly respected role within her job. On the other hand, she is also presented quite stereotypically as a weak sort of feminine character through the way that she is shown to not be physically strong which can be seen when she goes up against Alice when Alice threatens her. Similarly, Zoe is shown to not really have a major significance in power against anybody as she tends to be seen hiding behind others which can be seen when Luther goes to find her after her attack and Zoe's new boyfriend is the one dealing with Luther as Zoe hides and almost cowers indoors which supports the stereotype of women being seen as stereotypically weak compared to men.

Overall, the characters in Luther are very conventional for a crime drama, with some small variations. The conventional characters Luther and Alice as the agree to Neale's theory that characters have certain traits based on the genre as they are shown to have a lot of the traits that Neale's theory states. However, a less conventional character is Zoe who is portrayed with both stereotypical and not stereotypical characteristics compared to Neale's theory. Tuesday 11th February 2025

Extract Analysis

LO: To revise audio-visual codes and how they create meaning.

Do Now: 0/5

1) When analysing media language, it can be split up into 4 areas: camerawork, sound, editing, MES.

2) Camerawork covers the three things shot type, angle and movement.

3) Diegetic sound is the sound you would hear if you were in the 'world' of the text.

4) Cross-cutting is where the editing cuts between two scenes happening simultaneously.

5) Framing is how a shot is composed: decision about where to place a subject in a shot.

1) - Big close up shot.

2) - mid shot.

3) - Extreme close up shot.

4) - Medium long shot.

Extract Analysis:

- In the exam, COMPONENT 2, SECTION A, you will need to answer questions based on an extract from Luther.

- QUESTION 1 (stepped) will ask you to analyse EITHER MEDIA LANGUAGE or REPRESENTATION in an extract. (approx. 3 mins).

- PART A will be a simple analysis question.

- PART B will ask you to analyse and make a subject.

- QUESTION 2 will be on TV audiences, industry or contexts.

Technical Codes: Camera shots, angles & movements, editing.

Audio Codes: Diegetic v non-diegetic sound, dialogue, music, sound effects.

Visual Codes: Mise-en-scene, framing & composition, lighting.

Camerawork & Editing

- Cinematography is a language:

Ask yourself:

• What is being communicated with this shot?
• What has been included?
• Has anything deliberately been left out?
• What are we (the audience) being asked to focus on?

Practice - Opening scene in Luther:

- High angle shot - looking down on Madsen, hand held / trembling (reflects how Madsen feels).

In the opening scene of Luther, a birds-eye-view angle shot is seen whilst Henry Madsen is running to show how he may not have the dominance within this scene and is seen more below than the person chasing him which we find out is Luther. Furthermore, the fact that during this shot, the camera was hand-held and trembling a bit reflects the sense of fear that Henry Madsen feels within this moment while he is running from an unseen person who we are left to assume is attacking him.

Example:

Friday 14th February 2025

Extract Analysis: MEDIA LANGUAGE

LO: To practise analysing extracts for media language & representation.

Do Now: 3/5

1) Camerawork, sound, editing, MES.

2) Camera shots, angles & movements.

3) Non-diegetic - Sound that can only be heard by the audience.

4) Eye-line match - When the camera follows what the actor is looking at.

5) Canted angle - When the camera is shifted to the side.

John Luther:

- Luther's costume of a shirt and tie connotes his official status and authority as a police detective. The heavy coat is stereotypical for TV detectives.

- The undone top button and loosened tie connotes that he is not conventional and does not conform to the rules.

- The mismatched suit suggests a lack of care in his appearance.

- Dark colours signify the 'dark side' to his character and link with the idea of the maverick detective. Could also represent his damaged mental state.

- The volvo shows he is a practical person, and is not focused on style.

Alice Morgan:

- Alice Morgan's long, red hair connotes that she is volatile, dangerous and sexual. It contrasts with her short, messy hair at the beginning of the episode when she is pretending to be innocent.

- She is wearing a smart jacket, trousers and boots. This gives her a business-like appearance which connotes that she is an efficient and ruthless criminal.

- The lipstick and styled waves are stereotypical of the femme fatale stereotype.

- her costume is feminine but classic: functional and in no way striking. She knows how to look good without drawing attention to herself - the different outfits in episode 1 show her sociopathic nature.

Tuesday 25th February 2025

Extract Analysis: REPRESENTATION

LO: To practise analysing extracts for media language & representation.

Do Now: 5/5

1) Close-up, medium close-up, mid-shot, medium long-shot, long-shot.

2) Tracking is an example of camera movement.

3) Lighting comes under mise-en-scene.

4) Shot reverse shots are often used in conversations between two people.

5) Canted angle is when the camera is tilted at an angle, often used to present a dream.

How is media language used to create meaning in 'Luther'?:

- We know that we are in Zoe's office.

- Challenging stereotypes because Zoe has a well respected job. She is higher up, she is important.

- The fact the are both standing shows the desk dividing them which highlights their division at this point in the scene.

- The glass wall gives a sense of modern, city, urban style.

- The red ribbon depicts the kind of work she has because lawyers tend to use red ribbon around their cases.

- Zoe wears a suit which connotes that she is well put together and has the power to have a "mans" occupation and role.

Setting:

- Settings are very important for creating the mood and tone of the programme.

- When writing about setting we need to look at the details, as well as considering factors such as the time and weather as well as the location itself.

Visual Codes:

- Nothing is in the frame by accident. Setting, props and costumes can tell us as much as blocking.

We need to ask ourselves these questions:

-What does the setting connote?

- What props have been included - Why?

- What do the costumes and body language connote about the characters?

- How are the characters positioned? What does this suggest about their relationship?

Exam Style Question:

Explore how mise-en-scene creates meaning in this clip. [10]

Consider:

- Props

- Costume

- Setting

- Blocking

Examples In Luther (Psychiatry hospital ward):

- Playing chess - strategic game could reflect Luther's character as clever (Maverick detective). Ian admits that he finally beat him meaning it is not normal, highlighting Luther's intelligence.

- Dressed casual - nothin matches (lack of care for how he looks).

- Ian is leaning forward - shows interest and an attempt to connect. Luther leaning back - does not care and does not want to connect.

- Gloomy atmosphere - the only light in the room is coming from the outside.

- Blinds look like bars portraying he is trapped

Representations:

1a. Explore the representations of gender in this extract.   [10]

Male:

- Represented as protective - Zoe's other lover stands up to defend Zoe. Stereotypical of men being protectors and stronger than women thus having to be the ones to defend them.

- Represented as aggressive - Luther becomes violent with Mark and they had a small fight. Stereotypical of men being violent.

- Represented as physically strong - Luther picked up Mark and chucked him on the car. Stereotypical for men to be physically strong.

- Representation of determination - Luther starts shouting through the door when Zoe does not come out. (Lack of stoicism).

- Hegemonic masculinity characteristics.

- All of the police officers that come to help are male which is stereotypical for police officers as women are seen as not capable of having that role.

Female:

- Represented as weaker than males - hiding behind her boyfriend.

- Represented as driven with emotions / emotional - cries when talking to Luther. Stereotypical of the idea that women are usually emotional.

1b. How stereotypical are the representations of ethnicity in this extract.   [10]

Stereotypes:

- 

Antistereotypical:

- Friday 28th February 2025

Extract Analysis: Exam Style Question

LO: To analyse extracts for media language and representations.

Do Now: 4/5

1) When analysing representations, we can look at is if it is positive / negative; stereotypes.

2) MES includes setting, costume and props.

3) You will be shown the extract twice in the exam.

4) 2 questions will be based on the extract.

5) For a 10/12 marker, you should write around 3/4 paragraphs.

Component 2, Section A: Television

- Question 1 (stepped) will ask you to analyse EITHER media language or representations in an extract. (Approx. 3 mins).

- Q1a will be a simple analysis question.

- Q1b will ask you to analyse and make a judgement.

- Question 2 will be on TV audiences, industry or contexts.

Question 1:

Question 2:

Section A:

1a. Explore how costumes create meaning in this extract.   [10]

Male costumes:

- Luther wearing a suit, stereotypical. Show his importance and status.

- Ripley wearing a suit, stereotypical. Shows his status and importance.

Female costumes:

- Zoe is in a suit, anti-stereotypical as women were seen as less and should not have high respected jobs.

- Rose is wearing a more masculine attire showing that even though a woman can have that kind of role, she needs more masculine properties to have it.

Costumes can create meanings in this extract through the ideology that the outfit can connote what sort of person they are and the character they are made to be like. This can be seen for example when we see that both of the males seen, Luther and Ripley, are wearing suits which is a stereotypical attire for men especially in this kind of role in society. The suits can connote that they are respected and have a high paying and highly noticed occupation. Similarly, this can also show their importance within the show as it highlights them out more than it would with someone in casual clothing and can show their status in society. This ideology of status and importance links to Luther's character a lot more as he was the first black detective to be shown on TV, challenging the stereotype that white men have to be the protagonist.

Although we can see that the character of Zoe is also wearing a suit, her character is more anti-stereotypical for this kind of attire. This is made apparent through the way that she is a female within a high respected place of work which is anti-stereotypical as men are usually the ones with the well respected and higher roles in society. This stereotype is seen in The Sweeney as women are either wives or have no sufficient or respected role in the police force, being used to babysit other adult women. This contrast highlights how Zoe's suit is used to present the meaning of empowerment for women and to bring femininity to more respected jobs in this more modern society. 

In contrast to this, we can see that Rose is wearing a masculine outfit which can be seen as a way of getting across the ideology that to have a more masculine role in society, which can be seen as she is Luther's boss, you have to almost appear as one. This can portray the meaning that women are still undermined and are very much seen as not having the power to have a masculine role within society. This can also be seen through the way that Rose's hair is short which is anti-stereotypical for female characters as they usually have long hair. This can create the meaning that women are more than just people that long to have great looks.

1b. How typical of the genre are the locations used in this extract?   [10]

Stereotypical locations:

- Cities, tall buildings, modern. More crime in these locations, good for police drama.

- Police station - seen in many dramas, especially police dramas.

Anti-stereotypical locations:

- The streets are very quiet - normally fr big cities you see a lot more people, especially in the day. Nobody can be seen except for main characters.

The locations for this genre are very stereotypical but are a little flawed within other aspects. This can be made clear through the way that the show Luther is set within a large city which is stereotypical for a TV drama and especially crime dramas as smaller town do not have the same amount of crime compared to larger places and cities which would have a much more sufficient rate of crimes as there are more people than can commit these crimes. The common stereotypes that we would expect within a crime drama location are tall, modern buildings which can be seen in scenes such as when Zoe is being threatened by Alice in some sort of alleyway. This is further proven when we see the inside of one of these building, when we are made aware of where Zoe works when Luther visits her, as the majority of the walls are made of glass which is a much more stereotypical modern thing compared to that of one from something such as The Sweeney which depicted brick walls and isolated rooms, cut off from others.

In addition to this, the part of the scene where we are in the police station when Luther is talking to Rose, this location is very stereotypical as the elements within the police station are those of what you would expect within a real one. These kind of thing include having multiple rows of desks as well as a dull feeling which is seen as the walls are just a bland colour, no artificial colours to it to make it brighter in any sort of way.

On the other hand, we can see the aspect of an anti-stereotypical location through the way that we can see nobody around when Zoe is being threatened by Alice on the street. This is very anti-stereotypical for this sort of set location as cities tend to be extremely populated no matter if it is day or night because there are still many people living in these cities, therefore the quietness, although it makes the scene more suspenseful as you know that there is nobody who can help Zoe, it is not too accurate to the real world. The lack of people in this city is further proven through the way that we can visibly see that it is daytime which is weird, because you would expect to see at least one person going to work.

When watching this scene, it made me immediately think of the bridge scene when Alice is threatening Luther as we see cars but no people walking around which gives us a sense of suspense but drags away from the real world feel that this series usually brings.

[UNFINISHED]Homework

Explore the connotations of the costumes of two characters in the BBC Crime Drama Luther [8]

In the BBC crime drama Luther, we can explore the stereotypical and anti-stereotypical style of the costumes for specific characters, such as John Luther and Zoe Luther. For example, John Luther's costume is very stereotypical for his character as it is is just a suit which can connote how he is important and can determine his class and social status. This highlights that Luther is a respected person within his career and how he has an important role within it. The fact that the suit makes him appear to be much more intelligent and to stand out against the other police officers we are shown can connote the fact he has much more power than them but it can also foreground the ideology that he is a maverick detective, being able to figure out things others can't. Similarly to this, the fact that his tie is undone, on the poster for the show Luther, can connote to his dysfunctional mind at times which is another aspect that can link him to being a maverick detective.

On the other hand, the characters Zoe very much has got an anti-stereotypical costume as she is portrayed wearing a suit just like Luther. For example, the fact that she is in a suit can connote that she is in a job that is very well respected which is not very common for women within TV shows. This is highlighted through the other TV drama, The Sweeney, which portrays the female roles as either wives or powerless in jobs with an example of the only female police officer having to look after another grown woman. Back to Zoe, the fact that she is in a well respected job challenges the stereotype that women cannot be in powerful jobs. In addition to this, the fact that she is also wearing a suit just like Luther could connote that she has got the same amount of importance as Luther. This has been done to empower women to feel that they do have the power to be as strong as men and important roles in society just like men do.

Explain how the character John Luther is typical of the TV crime drama genre [12]

The character, John Luther, is typical of the TV crime drama genre because he is a male detective which is very common for shows especially based around police. This can be seen with Sherlock Holmes who is another male detective; it seems to be a recurring theme for crime dramas. However, in contrast to this, Luther could be seen as untypical through the fact that he is a black detective which is uncommon for crime dramas as the stereotype is that ethnic people are usually criminals, it makes a nice change. An example of this could be Sherlock Holmes again as he is a white detective as it is a common stereotype that white people have more privilege than ethnic people. Furthermore, Luther is in fact the first ever black detective in Britain which portrays how he is a very untypical character but it also highlights how far society has come compared to when The Sweeney was around which portrayed ethnic people as criminals and people who are not to be trusted but feared.

Secondly, if we were to look at Propp's theory, we can deduct that Luther would be the hero character as he is the main protagonist and is a protector as he is a detective helping to prevent crimes. Even though we can see that he is a hero using Propp's theory, he is not a very stereotypical hero. Although he does help to stop crimes and is good at being a detective with the ability to figure out clues which others would not get or they would overlook, he is quite anti-stereotypical. This can be seen through the way that the way in which Luther goes about getting what he wants is unjust as he breaks and bends the rules to obtain information, justice, etc. This can be made apparent through the example that Luther allows Henry to fall even after finding out the information that he wanted. Another way we can see this is when Luther becomes quite violent towards Mark after Mark tries defending Zoe, Luther even goes as far as starting a fight with him which portrays him as quite violent and unjust which is very anti-stereotypical for a hero.